Shiva Shanker Bhatta (@shivashankerbhatta) – WordPress user profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Shiva Shanker Bhatta — Founder & CEO at AF themes, Themes Team Rep at WordPress.org, Locale Manager for ne_NP, and a passionate advocate for open-source publishing.

I build fast, accessible, news-focused WordPress themes used by 100K+ users worldwide. Through Go With WP, I lead podcasts, workshops, and training programs to help students, creators, and publishers embrace WordPress — an initiative that helped spark the global Campus Connect program.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of contributing as:

🎙️ Producer & Host – Go With WP podcast and educational series

🌐 Organizer & Media Partner – WordCamp Europe 2025, Asia 2023, Kathmandu 2016–22, and more

🌍 Themes Team Rep, Core Contributor, and Polyglots GTE

👨‍🏫 Community mentor, helping newcomers grow into contributors

WordPress changed my life. Now, I help others use it to tell their stories, grow businesses, and power change.

Let’s connect and build — together.

Interests

WordPress development, open-source contribution, digital publishing, local journalism, podcasting, community building, mentoring, remote collaboration, no-code tools, teaching tech in schools

WordPress Origin Story

I started with curiosity and a borrowed laptop back in 2010 — trying to help a friend launch a simple blog for a local youth initiative in Nepal. That’s when I stumbled onto WordPress… and it changed everything for me.

At the time, I didn’t know what open source really meant — but I knew I had found something powerful. I kept experimenting, learning, breaking things, and building again. Over time, I realized WordPress wasn’t just a tool — it was a community. And I wanted to be part of it.

That journey led me to start AF themes, where we create themes designed especially for publishers, bloggers, and small businesses — tools built for people like me, who are trying to make an impact with limited resources. Along the way, I launched Go With WP, a community initiative that brings WordPress education to schools, universities, and beginners across Nepal. I’m proud that it helped inspire what later became the official Campus Connect program.

Over the years, I’ve contributed as a Themes Team Rep, GTE for Nepali, organizer and media partner for several WordCamps (from Kathmandu to Europe), and a mentor to many who are just getting started — because I remember exactly what that feels like.

WordPress gave me the platform to create, teach, and grow — and now I do my best every day to pass that on.

Contributions

Shiva Shanker Bhatta contributes 20 hours per week to the following teams: Community, Polyglots, and Themes.

Member Since: July 15th, 2014
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Website: afthemes.com
Job Title: Founder/CEO and Producer
Employer: AF themes and Go with WP
Find me on:

Contribution History

Core Contributor
Photo Contributor
Plugin Developer
Theme Developer
Themes Team
Translation Contributor
Translation Editor
WordCamp Organizer
WordCamp Speaker

Activity
Plugins
Themes
Photos
Courses
Translations

Gave props in Slack:
Props to @kafleg & @acosmin for devoting your years for the themes teams :sign_of_the_horns::rocket::pray:
7 days ago
Received props from @kafleg in Slack:
Props to @shivashankerbhatta and @acosmin for being the themes team reps for the year 2025…
7 days ago
Closed ticket #246031 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Organic Honey – 1.1
4 weeks ago
Closed ticket #246263 on Themes Trac:
THEME: FSE Gamer – 1.1
4 weeks ago
Closed ticket #246237 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Clothes Boutique – 0.2
4 weeks ago
Closed ticket #247309 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Photo Journal – 1.6.1
1 month ago
Closed ticket #245511 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Luxury Shop – 1.1
1 month ago
Closed ticket #244562 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Lexicon A17S – 1.0
1 month ago
Closed ticket #244829 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Moiraine – 2.8.0
1 month ago
Committed [3410446] to Plugins SVN:
Name update
1 month ago
Closed ticket #244896 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Serpent's Ascent – 1.0.0
1 month ago
Committed [3406548] to Plugins SVN:
Plugin name udapte
1 month ago
Closed ticket #241328 on Themes Trac:
THEME: LocalMerchant – 1.0.2
2 months ago
Closed ticket #243086 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Bosa Preschool – 1.0.0
2 months ago
Closed ticket #241259 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Responsive – 6.2.8
2 months ago
Closed ticket #226130 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Academica – 2.1.0
2 months ago
Closed ticket #244574 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Event Caterer – 0.1
2 months ago
Closed ticket #243596 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Pin Donation – 1.2
2 months ago
Suggested 22 strings on translate.wordpress.org.
2 months ago
Translated 17 strings on translate.wordpress.org.
2 months ago
Suggested 34 strings on translate.wordpress.org.
2 months ago
Closed ticket #240598 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Frontis – 1.1.20
2 months ago
Closed ticket #243474 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Blogoralite – 1.0.5
2 months ago
Closed ticket #243726 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Frontis – 1.1.21
2 months ago
Reopened ticket #243726 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Frontis – 1.1.21
2 months ago
Reopened ticket #226130 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Academica – 2.1.0
2 months ago
Reopened ticket #241259 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Responsive – 6.2.8
2 months ago
Reopened ticket #240598 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Frontis – 1.1.20
2 months ago
Completed the course WordPress Credits Mentor’s Course on learn.wordpress.org
2 months ago
Translated 2 strings on translate.wordpress.org.
4 months ago
Closed ticket #221912 on Themes Trac:
THEME: WP Gov CZ – 1.0.5
5 months ago
Translated 4 strings on translate.wordpress.org.
5 months ago
Suggested 8 strings on translate.wordpress.org.
5 months ago
Closed ticket #220433 on Themes Trac:
THEME: flowp – 1.0.7
6 months ago
Closed ticket #221723 on Themes Trac:
THEME: StartupGrove – 1.0
7 months ago
Closed ticket #221717 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Creativ Education FSE – 1.0.1
7 months ago
Closed ticket #221684 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Construction And Renovation – 1.0
7 months ago
Closed ticket #217734 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Art Portfolio – 1.0.3
7 months ago
Reopened ticket #220433 on Themes Trac:
THEME: flowp – 1.0.5
7 months ago
Reopened ticket #217734 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Art Portfolio – 1.0.2
8 months ago
Closed ticket #217340 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Polite Inspire – 1.0.2
8 months ago
Translated 6 strings on translate.wordpress.org.
9 months ago
Closed ticket #206300 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Sika – 1.0.1
10 months ago
Closed ticket #203488 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Bizwork – 1.0.0
12 months ago
Closed ticket #201108 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Revery – 1.0.1
1 year ago
Translated 9 strings on translate.wordpress.org.
1 year ago
Translated 5 strings on translate.wordpress.org.
1 year ago
Committed [3215991] to Plugins SVN:
WordPress 6.7 Compatibility
1 year ago
Received props from @kafleg in Slack:
Props to @acosmin @fahimmurshed @vowelweb @bijayyadav @rabieelkheir @rinkuyadav999 @shivashankerbhatta for reviewing themes this year. Your…
1 year ago
Translated 6 strings on translate.wordpress.org.
1 year ago